Thermopile.



No. 775,'187. y PATENTED N0V.15,19o4.'

u. A. LYoNs & E. o. BROADWELL.

THBRMOPILE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. 9, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

l [UNITED STATES .I Patented November 15, 196g,

* PATENT OFFICE. y

' 1 'JOHN A'. LYoNs: AND' EDWARD BROADWELL, r'or JCHICAGO;jILLnaoIs'. y

THER'MPILE.

. lSPEt:nsrceuxollr vfem'ng pan of' Lettere retent No.l 775,187, dated Nevember'ls, '1904.

Y eppueeeen filed December 9,1903?v seriei 11e-184,454. (remodel.)

TQ all whom it may concern:

' 1' .Be it known that we, JOHN A. LYoNs and EDvv'AleD C. BRoApWELL, citizens o'f the United States, vresiding at Chicago, inthe county of 5 Cook and State of Illinois, have-invented cer-'- tain new and useful Improvements' inTheropiles', of which the ollowingis a speciea- 'tion.` f

Ourj'- invention relates 'to'thermoples and 1o more especially to'anfassembly of-thermopile v elements of such ,properties that vadvantage l mei. be l taken of the retardation 'of heat conduction therethrough and opposition toradiation away from l:the source of heat, whereby ,155 the eiiicrencyfofthe couples maybe increasedl I'infthe matter 'ofgenerating electrical power.y l Generally speaking, this increase in eiciency galnediby forming the elements of the therzo lstances having to a great degree the property duction' by com-biningwi-th suchsubstancein z 'I ,said elements anotherjsubstaneewhich tends z5g-to reflect-'back and; concentrate' at one point tion-#that is, when heat is applied at oneend centrate itat theplace Where applied.

. '35 One lend-'of the elements; vwhereby av greatd-ifl ference inf temperature between the inner and 1 `'outer ends-will lbe-nnain'tained,l so. as to theretial, with-.economy 'of-heat.

'f l-by elect high -dilierence'v iny electrical ipoten- :w-e vuse as'the positiveand,negative-elements of-ajtherm'opile a' s ystemiof heat-reeetingv f .bodies in combination-. -withf'a pe'rvious"I naterial, which is preferably a-loosely-compressedff: 45j pulverulent subsance, or; if desired, 4either the e heatreliec'tng odiesor the pervioussubf .en Stancemay be usedfwithout the other-and the"` advantages above stated' gained."

mop'ileof ltherinoelectrically-generative subf .'.of'opposing heat conductiontherethrouglrand e `offurther aiding this opposition-t heat cone J alliheat which Tis-'carried through by conducfof aftherIno-electrie couplemade of our im-- fprovedcombination of substances Athe tend- 3o 'ency'is ,to continually force -such heat back.v

e v reflectingbodies and the perviousjthermo-l *through :the elements ofthe couple and toconlFigure 1 is a planview'of the thermopile as- 6o sem'bly withthe upper collar partially brokenaway. Fig. 2' is a vertical section through l the center of Fig.`1 and Figs'. 3 and 4 are` re.-

spectively, portions ofa thermopile-'conple- 'I i -using only the heat-reliecting bodies and the 65 compressed porous-plates-orbars. A

Corresponding and like parts' arel referred to in the following description and vindicated in-.the views of the drawings by the'samereference characters. 70

It should be noted thatall' elements of 'a' @similar nature'in one layer of the thermopile are' designated 'by' the same reference character, the various'fs'eries of characters designating the 'series of layers. f

Referring to the drawings, a representsany 1 source of heat, -asa Bunsen burner, which'is placed atthe. center of the thermopile assembly.` S'lhis assembly is 'composed of the heatelectrically.-generative bars, hereinbefore l fm'entioned, combined -in the `following man- V The 'principledour invention eonsists. in f "1 the' 4retardation and. concentration of..y heat-at,

.ner-Thgijeat-reflecting bodies are preferably l offlelectrically" generative and lconductive metaland are represented at b b, &c., and 85 are-preferablyplaced in-a number of layers v-ofv approximately concentric. rings or ..bars,

although anylconguration otherv than cirh cular'rnayfreadily beernployed. These rings. 4o To this'e d in. carryingjoutourEinvention being approximately eoncentric are there-fore 90 in the form and lper'ornnthel functions of walls or partitions separated from eachother a space of. any suitable dimensions, forthe purposetobe hereinafter specified. The in- Wardly-directed surfacesof-these sets of par- 9'5 titions orlfheat-reecting bodies Snc., 1 are'prefer'ably concave-transversely, asshown more particularly, by Fig.f2, vand `aire also preferably-'highly'polishedortreated 1n some otlierilmaner-@which 'willyenable thernto re- 10 50 i thermage it .may be first mixed with a suit-` iiect any heat thrown against the'm.v Their outwardly-directed surfaces are preferably the thermopile elements it `creased to a large extent.

left convex transversely, and their diathermic and heat-absorbing properties are aided 'in any suitable manner, as by painting with lampblack or othersutable substance. 1f desired, these outwardly-directedv surfaces may be made plain or angular in configuration withoutI departing from the scope and spirit of our invention.l It is thus seen that asheat. radiates from the burner a outward through is continually forced back toward its source by repeated reiections from the heat-reflecting concave surfaces provided bythe inner faces of the sets of approximately concentric rings or partitions b b b2, &c., and, furthermore, vex and darkened outward faces also continually tend to absorb and helpforce centerward the transmitted heat, so that the 'difference in temperature between the opposite ends of the thermo-electric couples is by this means in- It has been determined by experiment'and is well known that a given substancewhen 1n a pervious condition, as when pulverized and loosely packed or compressed, while still pos.

sessing .from one-fourth to even'one-half of the electrical conductivity of the s ame material when in the compact and solid state at the same time increasesfrom ten to'three huudred times its resistance to ktherrnage or -the heat quantity transferred by conduction through solids. may be taken advantage of we fill the spaces between the concentric rings orV partitions formed by the heat-refiecting bodies in alternate layers, as at c c' 02,850., and'cl d, with such negative and positive lperviousiele' trically conductive and thermally resistive substances as may bechosen, 'capable of'geir" erating an electrical potentialduring the transformation of heat into electricity. This pervious 'substan'ce may be either pulverulent material loosely pressed into the 'spaces' between theapproximately"concentric rings. or suchv material may-be first hydraulically compressed into firm" rings or sections lof suitable form before being. fitted 'nto their places', in which case tofgain the advantages of resistance :to

able powdenfsuch ,as ammoni'cehlorid in proper proportion',

ward dissolved'or volatized out when the Ipaand lherefore la very poor heat `tential-and above described,l The positive elements'are denoted by CC' C?, 4 erably composed of finely-dividedcopper, each-- particle thereof being muth. The negative 'elements' are denoted by d d' d', &.,and maybecompesed ofllprous To the end 'that this fact' and this sal-'ammoniac after'-4 Jther'moeelectr'1c/etui ples, and

85e., and; theyare pre-l electroplated with bis- 4sulfid having alloyed therewith about eighteen percentaof metallic antimony for the purpose of increasing the electrical conductivity.

The ends of the elements of the .couples are held in electrical contact, and the current of electricityis generated, as in the usual way in thermopiles, by th difference in electrical po tential created between the elements by difference in-temperature at the ends of the elements. Eachring or partition b b' b2, &c., is composedof the same materiales that of the respective bar or element in which it is located. V'These rings are plated with bismuth, and on their outer surfaces they have an al most imponderable coating of platinum or iridium black. .Between each of these layers composed of-heat-refiecting bodies and per vious material and arranged horizontally are strips e of insulating and heat-resisting material, 4as asbestos, ,which are so placed as to leave alternate'ends of the pairs or cou'ples of' thermo-electric elements in contact, as at f and, as shown more particularly by Fig. 2.

At both top and bottom of the apparatus is placed a' collar or annulus g, of heavy glass, porcelain, .or other suitable non-conducting material, which is of sixificieiit width to overlap both the inner and oiiter'bands or circles of reflectingfbodies b" b' bf, tc. These collars aredrawn tightly together, and efficient con# tact is insured between the contiguous positive and negative' thermo-electric elements by any eicient means, as coiled springs li, of' sufficient strength and suitable length, which may be .spacedv at intervals around the cir cumference of the collars' or placed `in any 'other convenient position.

The ordinary electrical binding-posts, tov A which are joinedlthe wires for the circuit, may .be attached at .any convenient point at il and j.

As hereinbefore described, it willbe noted that the elements comprising the couplesl of l the thermopile are made compoundw. positive and each negative element isl composed of approximately concentric collars or annuli formed of the heat-reecting bodies and the thermoeelectrically-generative bars or platesv of pervious substances alternately disposed with relation to.one another; been found that eitherl Ione of these elements may beusedwithout the other and good resultsfmay b e obtained. f.

Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of a thermopile 'wherein only the heat-reflecting bodies in the form o f bar s or walls are used in forming the FigA illustratesy a portion 'of atheruiopile nsingvonlythe com vpressed ,and porous bars in its assembly, as hereinbefore described,

Obviously -our 4invention may be used in e. ,'each v but itV has V.widelyvarying forms, and some Afeatures 'thereof may housed-without others. r

Therefore, .without limiting ourselves to thejco'nstruction shown and described nor emmer-ating equ1valents,`we claim, and dev of thermo-electrically-generative properties sire to obtain by Letters Patent, the following: 1

1. vIn a thermopile, a source of heat and a 4 ,thermo-electric couple adjacent4 thereto, in4

combination with means within said couple for concentrating the heat at one end thereof, substantially asdescribed.

2. Ina thermopile, a source of heat, and a thermo-'electric couple formed of a pervious' substance adjacent thereto, whereby the heat conduction through said couple isopposed and the heat concentrated at one end thereof, substantially as described.

3. In a thermopile, a source of heat,'ather mo-electric couple adjacentthereto formed of a pervious substance whereby the heat conduction through said couple is opposed and the heat concentrated at one end thereof, in

composing the positive and negative elements,

substantially as described. 35

6. In a thermopile, compressed pulverulent material of thermo-electrically-generative properties composing the positive and negatlve elements, substantially as described.

7. In a thermopile, bars or walls of'thermoelectrically-generative properties composing the positive and negative elements, each of saidbars or walls provided with a-heat-refleeting surface, substantially as described.

8. In a thermopile, bars or walls of thermoelectrically-generative properties composing the positive and negative elements, each-oi said bars orjwalls provided with a heat-absorbing surface, substantially as described;

9. In a thermopile, bars or walls of thermoelectrically-generative properties composing the positive and negative elements, each of said bars or walls provided with an inner heat-reiiecting surface and an outer heat-absorbing surface,\ substantially as described.

10. In a thermopile, positive and Vnegative elements of thermo electricallygenerative properties, each composed of a plurality of contiguous barsor walls each one of which is provided with an inner heat-reiiecting surface and an outer heat-absorbing surface, su bstantially as described.

11. A- thermopile havingp'ositive and negative elements consistingof thermo-electricallygenerative substances, each composed of a bar or wall provided with a heat-reflecting sur-face in combination with a pervious plate or bar contiguous thereto, substantially as described.

12. A thermopile having positive and negative elements consisting of thermo-electricallygenerative substances, each composed of a plurality of bars or walls spaced apart, each one of which is provided with a heat-reflecting surface in combination with pervious plates or bars between said bars or walls and contiguous thereto, substantially as described.,

13. A thermopile having positive and negative elements consisting` of thermo-electrical lygenerative substances each composed of a plurality of bars or walls spaced apart and each of which is provided with a heat-reflecting surface in combination with compressed pulverulent material between said barsor walls and l contiguous thereto, substantially as described.

14. A thermopile having positive and negative elements consisting of thermo-electricallygenerative substances, each composed of a pluralit;7 of bars or walls each onel of which is provided with an inner heat-refiecting surface and an vouter heat-absorbing surface in combination with compressed pulverulent material between said bars or walls and-contiguous thereto,l substantially as described.

15. A thermopile having positive and negative elements-consisting of thermo-electricallygenerative substances, each composed of a plurality of bars or walls' each one of which is provided witha'J concave, polished inner surface and a convex, darkened outer surface in combination with loosely-compressed pulverulent material between said barsor walls and contiguous thereto, substantially as described.

f 16. Athermopile having positive and negative elements consisting of thermo-electricallygenerativesubstances, each com posed of a plurality of concentric bars or walls each one of which is provided with a concave, polished inner Surface and a convex, darkened outersurface in 'combination with pervious plates'or bars between said bars or walls and contiguous thereto, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.l

' JOHN A. LYoNs.

EDWARDC. -BROADWELL Witnesses:

ARTHUR STUART, ELMER BRANDEBERRY.

IOO

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